Bill Cunningham (born William Cunningham, January 23, 1950, Memphis, Tennessee) is the original bass guitarist / keyboardist for the Box Tops.[1]
Bill remained a member of the Box Tops until September 1969, when he decided to return to school to get a music degree in performance of the upright bass.
Though Bill virtually vanished from the pop music scene after he left the Box Tops, he rose in the ranks of classical musicians, playing in many symphony orchestras and in ballet and opera companies while attending university. During this period he backed artists as diverse as Eddy Arnold, Van Cliburn, Isaac Hayes, the Romeros (Spanish guitarists), and Dionne Warwick.
In 1996, Bill played the principal role in reforming the original Box Tops. He played bass and shared responsibility for keyboard parts with John Evans on the Tear Off album. Bill has toured with the group since 1997.[2]